If you’ve ever laid awake when you’re supposed to be going to sleep replaying conversations in your head that make you cringe, there’s a good chance that some (or all!) of them include some of these things. It’s important to speak your mind and let the other person know what you’re feeling but doing it with these phrases will most likely only escalate things, possibly past the point of no return in your relationship.
- “You’re overreacting” – Instead of dismissing someone’s reaction, try acknowledging their feelings and talking things over calmly
- “I don’t care” – What you’re saying when you tell someone this is that their feelings and thoughts are of no importance to you, which can cause long-lasting problems
- “You always…” or “You never…” – Using absolutes like “always” and “never” rarely leads to productive discussions. Remember, there are no absolutes; talk about specific things instead
- “You’re just like your (parent)” – Ouch. If you’re already having issues you’re trying to work through, bringing family comparisons into the conversation is like lighting the fuse on an enormous bomb. Talk about them and what they’re doing that bothers you, not who they remind you of
- “Why can’t you be more like…” – Another comparison that makes things worse. Talk to them about who they are, not who you want them to be
- “Whatever” – No. Just no. It’s dismissive, disrespectful, and isn’t going to resolve anything
- “I wish I had never met you” – If you say this, especially in the middle of an argument, you’re really going to hurt them, and it’ll take a lot more work than it should to fix it
- “It’s all your fault” – There are two sides to every story, and there’s usually enough blame to go around
Source: HackSpirit